"Not half so sanguine as you, sir. Why, you must have spent years of labour, and a great deal of money, over that model." "I have," said Hallett sadly. "Then don't call me sanguine," cried Mr Jabez, flying to his snuff-box again. "I ask, here, Hallett, how much would it take to produce that thing, patent it, and the rest of it?" "I cannot say," replied Hallett quietly, and with the same sad smile upon his face. "It is one of those things which keen on crying, `More! more!' I dare say it would require 300 pounds or 400 pounds to produce the first machine, and then I have no doubt more would have to be spent in perfecting it." "Yes, I dare say," said Mr Jabez coolly, as he uncovered and once more began to examine the model; "I tell you what, Hallett, I think I know your man." "What, a capitalist?" "No, sir; a man with a selfish desire to share in the child of your brains." "Indeed!" "Yes; he hasn't much money, but I'll be bound to say that he would find enough to carry out your plans for, say, one-third of the profits." "Mr Rowle, are you serious?" said Hallett earnestly. "I never joke about business matters, Mr Hallett. As I said before, sir, that's a great invention; and if you'll let me, I'll find the money for carrying it on, conditionally that I take one-third of the profits the invention makes." "You will! Mr Rowle!" cried Hallett incredulously. "I will, sir; and there's my hand upon it." "But do you understand the magnitude of the affair, sir?" cried Hallett, whose face flushed and eyes glittered with excitement. "Quite so," replied the old gentleman, diving again into his snuff-box. "The first thing is, sir, to draw out a proper document between us--we can do that without the lawyers. Then proper drawings must be made, with description, and the thing must be patented." "But that will take nearly a hundred pounds!" cried Hallett, panting; while I sat there hugging myself with delight. "You can have my cheque for a hundred pounds, Mr Hallett, as soon as we have settled the preliminaries; and I bind myself to go on finding the necessary cash for construction as you go on. And now, sir, it's pretty well my bed-time, and I want to be off. Do nothing rashly. This day week I'll come here again for your answer, which I hope will be _yes_; for I think it will be a good stroke of business for both of us. Now good-night. Antony Grace, will you show me the way down to the door?" They shook hands, and I saw the old gentleman to the street. "There, my boy, wasn't that done well?" he chuckled. "But look here, Antony Grace," he added seriously; "I'd have done it without Miss Carr, that I would, for I believe in that machine. Good-night, boy, I'll come on next week and--hang it, look at that fellow who just passed. He's as like John Lister as two peas." The old man went off, and I returned to my room, where I found Hallett waiting for me in a state of intense excitement.